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MEDICAL ENGLISH · MEDICAL ISSUES · PRE-INTERMEDIATE (A2-B1)

TAKE ONE
OF THESE
TWICE A DAY
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1 Warm up

Look at the header image and discuss the questions below.

1. What types of medication can you see in the photo? What other types do you know?
2. What are the different ways that medication can be administered?

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2 Vocabulary 1

Complete the words with the missing vowels.

1. The initial d _ s _ g _ should be 100 mg a day, then reduce it to 50 mg after ten days.

2. IV, or _ ntr _ v _ n _ _ s therapy, is the most effective way to administer medication to patients in
hospital.

3. I’m going to give you a pr _ scr _ pt _ _ n for you to collect this medication at the chemist.

4. Even though it’s an _ v _ r-th _ -c _ _ nt _ r medication, it’s always better to check with your doctor
first.

5. Medication can come in a variety of formats, including c _ ps _ l _ s, t _ bl _ ts, dr _ ps and spr _ y.

6. I’ve got a terrible headache. Have you got any p _ _ nk _ ll _ rs?

7. We need to start the patient on an _ nt _ b _ _ t _ c course to fight the infection.

3 Vocabulary 2

Match the side effects to their definitions.

1. itchy (adj.) a. feeling like everything is turning around and you

may fall
2. drowsy (adj.) b. unable to get rid of solid waste from your body

3. dizzy (adj.) c. discharging solid body waste frequently and in liquid

form
4. rash (n) d. when you want to scratch your skin

5. constipated (adj.) e. difficulty to fall asleep

6. insomnia (n) f. the feeling that you want to vomit

7. nausea (n) g. tired, feeling like you want to sleep

8. diarrhoea (n) h. red spots on your skin

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4 Vocabulary 3
Complete the text with the words from the box.

Drug interactions
A drug interaction is when a drug combines with another substance and that changes its effect on
your body. As a result, the medication can become stronger or weaker, or it may present unexpected
side effects.

There are different types of drug interactions:

1
- drug-drug, i.e. between two medications. These can happen with prescribed or over-the-
2
medication. For example, ibuprofen, a common , should not be taken by people who are also
taking diuretics.

- drug-food, for example when a patient is taking some medications to treat high cholesterol and drinks a lot of
3
grapefruit juice. Also, if you’re taking to fight an infection, it’s better not to take them with
water or fruit juice.
4
- drug-alcohol. Combining some medications with alcohol can make you feel or vomit, among
other effects. Alcohol can also change the effect of the medication.

- drug-disease, when a medication makes a condition or disease worse. For example, some medication for the
common cold can increase blood pressure.

Whether a drug interaction will happen depends a lot on the patient (e.g. weight, age, sex), as well as the prescribed
5 6
of the medication and its method of administration (e.g.) , tablets or drops).
In any case, it’s very important for a doctor to check what other medication a patient is taking before giving them
7 8
a new . Drug interactions can cause mild effects like or stomach problems
but can also put the patient’s life at risk.

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5 Focus on grammar

Part 1: Complete the sentences with the words in the box.

future / participle / past / perfect / present / would

1
0 conditional: If + tense
If a patient takes this medication with milk, it doesn’t work properly.

2
1st conditional: If + present tense / tense
If you take these tablets twice a day, you will feel better soon.

3 4
2nd conditional: If + tense / + verb
If your mother had high blood pressure, I wouldn’t prescribe this medication.

5 6
3rd conditional: If + past tense / would + have + past
If you had told me of the side effects, I wouldn’t have taken this drug.

Part 2: Read the example sentences above again and match the columns.

i. 0 conditional a. Impossible or unlikely situations in the past.

ii. 1st conditional b. Real or possible future situations.

iii. 2nd conditional c. Things that are generally true. You can replace if with
when.
iv. 3rd conditional d. Impossible or unlikely situations in the present or future.

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Part 3: Complete the dialogues with the correct form of the verbs in brackets. Then say which type
of conditional it is.

Dialogue 1

1
A: Sorry, but I couldn’t take the medication. I always (vomit) when I try to take
capsules. →
2
B: If you (tell) me that, I would have prescribed drops instead. →

Dialogue 2

1
A: The medicine tastes horrible! If it was sweet, I (love) to take it. →
2
B: Let’s do this then: if you take it now, I (give) you some chocolate afterwards.
→

Dialogue 3

1
A: If you (have) alcohol with this medication, it will cut the effect. →
2
B: That would be a problem if I (drink) alcohol, but I don’t. →

Dialogue 4

1
A: Would you (take) the medication if you had known insomnia was a common
side effect? →
2
B: Probably not. If I (not sleep) well, I can’t do anything properly the next day. →

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6 Speaking

In pairs, decide who is Student A and who is Student B. Then read your card and prepare for the
dialogues. Role play a conversation according to the cards below. Record the dialogues on your
phones.

Roleplayer card no. 1

Setting A: Local medical clinic Setting B: Infirmary of a hospital

You are a doctor talking to a 60-year-old You are 45 years old and are in hospital
patient. recovering from a surgery.

- Explain to the patient that you will - You are feeling a lot of pain. Ask for a
prescribe an injection of antibiotics for an painkiller.
infection.

- When asked, tell the patient that tablets - Ask about the side effects.
are an alternative, but injections are better.

- When asked, tell the patient that tablets - Ask about the dosage.
take longer to work and they might affect
the patient’s stomach.

- When asked, tell the patient that the

possible side effects are the same: nausea,
diarrhoea and a rash.

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Roleplayer card no. 2

Setting A: Local medical clinic Setting B: Infirmary of a hospital

You are a 60-year-old patient with an You are a nurse taking care of a 45-year-old
infection. patient recovering from a surgery.

- You don’t like injections. If the doctor - If the patient is in pain, administer an
prescribes one, ask about alternatives. intravenous painkiller.

- Ask why injections are better. - Possible side effects include constipation
and drowsiness.

- Ask about the side effects of each type of - When asked, tell them that the initial
medication. dosage will be 100 ml, but if they are very
nauseous, you can reduce the dosage.

7 Optional extension / homework

Part 1: Listen to your conversations and make notes on how to improve them. Then perform the
conversations again.

Part 2: Answer the questions below with your own ideas.

1. What do you take when you have a strong headache?

2. What will you do if you make a mistake in your job?
3. Where would you like to work if you could choose anywhere in the world?
4. If you hadn’t studied for your profession, what other healthcare job would you have chosen?

Now make four more questions of your own using 0, 1st , 2nd and 3rd conditionals. Then go around
the classroom asking your questions, each to a different student.

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TEACHER MATERIALS · PRE-INTERMEDIATE (A2-B1)

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Key

1. Warm up

5 min.
In small groups, students look at the header image and discuss the questions. Elicit some ideas as a whole class.

2. Vocabulary 1

5 mins.
Students complete the words with the missing vowels. When correcting, check the spelling and elicit other
examples with the words.

1. dosage 2. intravenous
3. prescription 4. over-the-counter
5. capsules, tablets, drops and spray 6. painkillers
7. antibiotic

3. Vocabulary 2

5 mins.
Go over the words for side effects, drilling the pronunciation, first chorally then individually. Students then match
the words to their definitions. After correction, students write and role play dialogues using the words. Ask some
students to perform their dialogues in front of the class.

1. → d. 2. → g. 3. → a. 4. → h. 5. → b. 6. → e. 7. → f. 8. → c.

4. Vocabulary 3

10 mins.
Write ‘Drug interactions’ on the board and ask if they know what it is. Elicit some ideas and ask them to read the
text (ignoring the gaps) to confirm. Students then read the text again and complete it with the words in the box.

side
1. counter
2. painkiller
3. antibiotics
4. drowsy
5. dosage
6. intravenous
7. prescription
8. nausea

5. Focus on grammar

Part 1
5 mins.

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TEACHER MATERIALS · PRE-INTERMEDIATE (A2-B1)

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Go over each example, eliciting who would say that and in what situation. Students then complete the form of
each conditional. Also show them that the conditionals can be inverted if the comma is removed (e.g., I wouldn’t
prescribe this medication if your mother had high blood pressure.)

1. present 2. future 3. past

4. would 5. perfect 6. participle
Part 2
5 mins.
Students match each type of conditional to its use. When correcting, elicit other examples with each conditional.

1. → c. 2. → b. 3. → d. 4. → a.
Part 3
10 mins.
Students complete the dialogues and indicate which type of conditional each one is (0, 1, 2 or 3). Then ask students
to role play the dialogues.
Dialogue 1

1. vomit / 0 2. had told / 3rd

Dialogue 2

1. would love / 2nd 2. will give / 1st

Dialogue 3

1. have / 1st 2. drank / 2nd

Dialogue 4

1. have taken / 3rd 2. don’t sleep / 0

6. Speaking

15 mins.
Pair students. Either assign a role for each or let them decide. Either take copies of the role cards and hand them
out accordingly or ask them to cover the role card that’s not theirs. Allow them time to read and prepare for the
task. Encourage them to make notes or think about what they are going to say, but not write down every word.
Students then role play the situations. Say they have to discuss the points in the task but can also extend the
conversation to other related topics. Make notes of praiseworthy and problematic language and hold a feedback
session as a whole class after students have finished the role play.

7. Optional extension / homework

Part 1
15 mins.
Students listen to the conversations and make notes of grammar or pronunciation issues, or any other breakdowns
in communication. They then perform the dialogues again. Task repetition is an effective technique to improve
oral fluency.
Part 2
15 mins.
Students answer the questions and make their own ones. They then mingle, asking their questions to their
classmates. At the end, ask students to report some of the things their colleagues said.

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